How To Install Ubuntu on Google Nexus 7?

The operating system based on Linux and developed by Canonical should be available for download on Galaxy Nexus late February. As I look forward to upcoming new operating system for mobile devices, I installed preliminary version of Ubuntu 13.04qui on Nexus 7.

Note: If you do not understand everything below, you probably should not try to install it now and wait for full and more stable version.

Before anything else, create a full backup of your Nexus 7. You can use Ultimate Backup or any other similar application. Knowledge bases as well as fastboot is needed to try. Neither I nor DeviceMondo.com will be responsible for any damage to your tablet. The transaction is your responsibility.

There are several ways to install Ubuntu, we gonna show the method via fastboot. For this you will need the Android SDK or SDK tools. Personally, I used the SDK tools with ADB and fastboot.

You obviously need an image of Ubuntu for Nexus 7. You can find it on the Ubuntu download page here. You must download the raring-preinstalled-desktop-armhf+nexus7.bootimg and raring-preinstalled-desktop-armhf+nexus7.img.gz (watch out on extensions .bootimg and .img.gz). Unzip the second file (.img.gz) and copy it as the first in the SDK tools folder. You must then change the extension of the image file in uncompressed .img (it is .raw at the base).

Fastboot and install Ubuntu Image On Nexus 7

Step 1: Put your Nexus 7 fastboot mode by pressing “Power + Volume up + Volume down” together and then release them when you see Android logo. At this moment you need to connect your Nexus 7 with PC using USB to microUSB cable.

Installing Ubuntu

Once your Nexus 7 restarts, and after displaying the Google logo, Ubuntu installation will start. Do not worry if the message “Preparing the root filesystem, please wait, this will take a few minutes …” is displayed for several minutes, this is normal.